


Red Red Wine

by Weareallstoriesintheend



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-10-08 16:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10390446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weareallstoriesintheend/pseuds/Weareallstoriesintheend
Summary: AU, cause that's all I can write. Donna gives Felicity's number to the handsome young man she met at Starbucks.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [acheaptrickandacheesyoneline](https://archiveofourown.org/users/acheaptrickandacheesyoneline/gifts).



> This is a (belated) birthday present for Megan. Sorry it's late, sweetie, I hope you like it! And thanks to Dominique for encouraging me through this thing so far!!

 

 

 

Donna: Honey, I sat next to the nicest man at Starbucks today!

Felicity: Oh really?? Get yourself a date, mom? :)

Donna: If only I was 20 years younger, sweetie!

Felicity: LOL

Donna: Anyway, he’s gorgeous, single and owns a winery

Felicity: Mom, no!

Donna: I showed him your picture and gave him your number

Felicity: Mom!! You can’t just give my number to random strangers!!

Donna: HE OWNS A WINERY!

Felicity groaned and dropped her head to the table, uncaring of the silverware clattering in her wake.

“What’s wrong?” asked Iris, sitting across from her as they shared their lunch hour together.

Without lifting her head, Felicity handed her phone to her friend and waited. A moment later, laughter bubbled out of Iris’ mouth and Felicity finally raised her head to glare at her.

“It’s not funny,” she gritted out.

Unable to speak from her laughter, Iris took a screenshot of the texts and sent it to herself before handing the phone back to Felicity. “You’re right,” Iris finally spoke, grabbing her own phone as the message came through. “It’s hilarious and so completely Donna!”

“Iris, my mother just gave out my phone number to a complete stranger AND showed him my picture!” Felicity reminded her.

“I know,” came the distracted reply from her friend. “That’s why I am sending the screenshot to Sara. She’s got to see this!”

With a groan, Felicity dropped her head back to the table. She could hear Iris’ phone buzzing with texts from Sara. She knew her friends were always amused by her mom, but couldn’t they understand her point of view just once.

“Sara wants to adopt your mom,” Iris informed her with a laugh.

“She can have her,” Felicity replied darkly, her face still buried in the table.

Iris sighed. “Ok, head up. Look at me,” she commanded. Felicity lifted her head to glare at her. “I know Donna frustrates you, but she only does these things because she loves you so much.”

Lifting her head, “I know,” Felicity acknowledged. “But does she have to express her love in such embarrassing ways?”

Iris just grinned, “Think about it this way. The guy she gave your number to was probably just being polite. I doubt you ever hear from him.”

Felicity brightened at that thought. “That’s true.”

 

 

Oliver stared at the phone in his hands, trying to decide what to do. Meeting Donna at Starbucks the other day had been a highlight for him. The place had been crowded and she’d been kind enough to share her table and even though she had chattered non-stop at him, he hadn’t been annoyed. Donna Smoak was kind and funny and so open that he’d found himself agreeing to look at pictures of her daughter, just to humor her. It was clear that Donna loved her daughter and was trying to set him up with her. Oliver was fully prepared to play along and then never think about the you woman again.

Until he’d seen her.

Oliver wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but he was dumbfounded by the image of a beautiful young woman grinning up at him from screen of Donna’s phone. With her blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and the thick-rimmed glasses on her face, she wasn’t his type at all. That didn’t stop his stomach from clenching and his heart from skipping a beat. Something about her drew him and now he was staring at his phone wondering if calling a strange woman was creepy or not.

Finally deciding that texting was (slightly) less creepy, Oliver typed quickly, before he could change his mind. _Hi. My name is Oliver. I met your mom at Starbucks the other day and she gave me your number. I know this is really weird, but I thought you might want to come out to my vineyard sometime?_

Hitting send, Oliver moved to put his phone down, not expecting an immediate response. He was surprised when it beeped with a message before he could put it away.

 **First, let me apologize for my mom,** came the response. **I know she can be a lot.**

Oliver smiled in response. Donna was certainly a lot, but in a good way.

**Secondly, no offense, but I don’t know you and you are inviting me to your “vineyard”. Sounds a little fishy.**

Oliver winced at her second text. Yeah, his first thought was right. It was creepy. _You’re right. I apologize. I really enjoyed talking to your mom and she really wanted us to meet. I didn’t want to disappoint her. I do own a vineyard, it’s called Chateau Reine, we have a website you can look up. He pressed send and immediately began texting again. If you want to come out, I can set aside a table for your during our dinner service one night. For as many people as you want. Bring some friends or your mom. Or don’t come at all. I don’t want to pressure you._

Watching his phone, Oliver waited for a response, but none came. After several minutes of nothing, he sighed and tucked his phone into his back pocket, turning his attention to the paperwork in front of him. It was twenty minutes later when his phone beeped. Pulling it out of his pocket, Oliver saw a text from Donna’s daughter.

**Impressive looking place, Mr. Queen. You really don’t mind setting aside a table for me and some friends one night.**

With a huge grin of relief, he quickly typed out his reply. _Not at all. Name a night and you’ll have a table._

**Would Thursday work? I don’t want to take up a table on a busy night.**

_Thursday is perfect. One question, though._

**Yes?**

_What name should I put the table under? Donna never told me your name._

**Oh! Felicity. Felicity Smoak. There will be four of us for the table, if that helps.**

_Can’t wait to meet you Ms. Smoak._

**See you Thursday, Mr. Queen.**

Tucking his phone back into his pocket, Oliver pushed away from his desk and headed toward the dining room. He needed to clear some space for Thursday night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience on this one! The second and final chapter is finally ready! Happy VERY belated Birthday to Megan! Let me know what you think!

“Thank God you’re here!” Felicity cried, grabbing Sara’s arm and pulling her into her apartment as soon as she opened the door. “I need you in my room.”

“Whoa!” Sara cried as Felicity tugged her down the hall. “As much as I love you, sweetie, I think Nyssa might have a bit of a problem with this.”

“This is Nyssa’s fault, so she can’t be mad,” Felicity told her friend tugging her into her room. 

Sara bit back a grin at Felicity’s frantic tone. “How is it my girlfriend’s fault that I am being shoved into your bedroom with you half-dressed. Cute bra, by the way.”

Felicity placed her hands on her hips, uncaring of the robe that was untied, showing Sara her bra. “It’s Nyssa’s fault because she had to leave town for work unexpectedly. Which means that we had an opening at the table tonight. It’s also YOUR fault because you told me this while I was with my mom, which means that she is now coming with us!”

Sara bit her lips to hold back her laughter. “So, I’m being shoved into your room because….”

“Because if I am not completely dressed by the time my mom gets here, she’s going to shove me into something tight, strapless and sparkly!” 

This time Sara couldn’t stop it and let the laughter bubble out of her. “You’re probably right. Show me what you are thinking.”

Felicity gestured toward the bed and Sara stared at the dresses laid out. They were colorful and cute, but not quite right. 

“Where’s that red one?” Sara asked. “The one you bought for your anniversary date with what's-his-name that never happened.”

Eyes wide, Felicity shook her head. “No way. I can’t wear that one.” 

“Why not? It’s hot without being too much,” Sara argued. 

“Not too much? The back is practically just straps,” Felicity cried, incredulous that her friend would that was appropriate. 

“Yes, but the cleavage isn’t too low and it think it's long enough to make up for it,” Sara said. “Go put it on.”

Still not convinced, Felicity headed into her closet to dig out the dress. Grabbing it from the rack, she headed toward her bed, dropping her robe as she went. 

“Now I know you are trying to seduce me,” Sara teased when Felicity slipped off her bra. 

Rolling her eyes at her friend, Felicity stepped into the dress and shimmied it over her hips, sliding her arms through the straps. “Stop flirting and help me zip this up,” she said to Sara, lifting her hair off her back. 

The zipper seemed to have gotten stuck and Felicity stood still as Sara worked it, yelling when she heard Iris entering the apartment. “We’re in here!”

Once it was zipped, Felicity turned and said, “See? Too much right?”

Sara’s eyes were wide and Iris’ mouth had opened to say something as she entered the room, but the words were forgotten. 

“Holy shit, Felicity!” Iris finally said quietly. “You look hot!”

Glancing down at herself, Felicity looked back at her friends. “Really? It’s not too much?”

Sara blinked and shook her head to clear it. “It’s perfect, really. You’re going to blow him away.”

Still doubtful, Felicity headed back to the closet to grab her red pumps. “I don’t know if I want to blow him away. I just don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

Iris headed to Felicity’s dresser and began searching through the extensive lipstick collection that was kept there. “Have you talked to him anymore?”

Felicity nodded, biting back a little smile at the memory of her text conversations with Oliver. “A few times, just texts, but he seems really sweet.”

“Then why are you so nervous?” Sara asked, looking in the mirror to check her own lipstick. 

Bracing herself on the side of her bed, Felicity wiggled her toes into her shoes. “What am I not worried about?” she replied. “What if this whole nice guy thing is just an act? What if he’s really an asshole and the whole night is a disaster? I researched this Chateau Reine and there is some serious money there. Anyone with that much money is probably a jerk, right?”

“If this Oliver guy turns out to be an asshole, Donna will destroy him,” Sara told her with a grin. “Followed by me.”

“And me,” Iris chimed in.

Sitting down heavily on her bed, Felicity sighed. “Okay, well, what if he really is a nice guy and I like him?”

“Why is that a bad thing?” Iris asked, brow furrowed in confusion. 

“If that happens, my mother will never let me forget it!” Felicity cried, practically growling in frustration when her friends started to laugh. “It’s not funny! I’ll never hear the end of it!”

“Never hear the end of what?”

Felicity’s head whipped around to see her mother standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Dressed in a bright yellow cocktail dress cut low on her breasts and high on her thighs, paired with a white leather jacket, Donna Smoak certainly captured everyone’s attention. 

“It’s just work, Mom,” Felicity said. “You look nice.”

“Yeah, Donna,” Sara chimed in with a grin. “You look hot. Sure you’re not trying to nab this Oliver guys for yourself?”

Running her hands down her hips, Donna giggled. “You know I’m dating your dad, Sara. Oliver is all for Felicity. Oh, honey, wait until you see him.”

Laughing when her mom fanned her face in an exaggerated gesture, Felicity grabbed the lipstick Iris had chosen for her and leaned toward her mirror to put it on. “I thought about looking for a picture of him online, but decided to keep it a surprise.”

After carefully applying the lipstick, Felicity straightened, fluffing her hair a little. It was always a little strange when she wore it down. Finally, she turned toward Sara, Iris and her mom. 

“Well?”

Donna’s face lit up in a grin. “Baby, he’s not going to know what hit him. Though, are you sure you don’t want to wear something shorter?”

********************************************************************************************************

 

Checking his watch, Oliver sighed when he saw that it had only been three minutes since the last time he checked. 

“How many times are you going to check your watch, dear? Expecting someone?” 

Oliver turned to see his mother smiling softly at him and sighed to himself. He thought briefly about trying to come up with an excuse, but quickly dismissed it. He was a really bad liar and his mom could always see right through him. 

“I am,” he told her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I have some guests joining us tonight.”

Moira linked her arm through her son’s as they walked toward the dining room together. “That explains the table in the kitchen, though I couldn’t help but notice it was set for four, not two.”

Oliver bit back a smile at his mother’s subtle attempt at prying. He knew she wondered about his dating life or, more accurately, lack of dating life. 

“That’s because I haven’t met her yet so I thought she would be more comfortable with friends around,” Oliver told her.

His mom stopped abruptly and let go of his arm, causing Oliver to take a couple of steps before realizing she was no longer with him. When he turned, Oliver took in the look of shock on his mom’s face with no small amount of amusement. 

“You have a blind date?” she asked, stunned. 

“I suppose you could call it that,” Oliver conceded after a moment. “Her mother set us up.”

“Oh?” Moira asked. “Do I know her mother? Is she a friend?”

Unsure of what his mom’s reaction would be, Oliver hesitated before saying, “No, I met Donna at Starbucks.”

The always poised and collected Moira Queen just stared at him, obviously stunned into silence before a smile broke out across her face. 

“Oh, Oliver,” she laughed as she reached up and cupped her son’s cheek in affection. “You do like to keep me guessing, don’t you?”

Leaning in, Oliver pressed a kiss to his mom’s cheek. “That’s why you love me,” he teased.

“That and so many other reasons,” Moira agreed. “I can’t wait to hear the whole story, but I think your guests may be here.”

Following Moira’s gaze, Oliver spied a group of women by the hostess stand. A grin broke out across his face when he saw Donna, striking in her bright yellow dress. 

As if sensing his gaze, Donna looked up and grinned when she saw him.

“Oliver!” she cried.

Moira grabbed his arm before he could walk away. “I hope that is the mother,” she whispered in his ear. “Otherwise, we may have some other things to discuss later.”

Oliver laughed. “Yes. That is Donna,” he reassured her. “Would you like to meet her and the others?”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Moira responded with a smirk. 

 

“Donna,” Oliver said as he approached her. “It’s good to see you again. You look lovely.”

Waving him off with a small blush, Donna replied, “This place is wonderful, Oliver.”

“I’m so glad you think so. It’s been in the family for a long time. Speaking of, I’d like you to meet my mom, Moira Queen. Mom, this is Donna Smoak.”

Moira stepped forward and extended her hand to Donna with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Donna. Welcome to Chateau Reine.” 

After shaking hands, Donna gestured to the women behind her. “This is Iris West and Sara Lance.” Oliver and his mom shook hands with the ladies. “And this is my daughter, Felicity.”

Getting his first real look at Felicity, Oliver felt that same gut punch he’d felt when he saw her picture, only this time was even stronger. Her blonde hair was curled around her shoulders and her glasses were missing, (was it strange that he was a little disappointed by that?), but she looked just like Donna’s picture and Oliver could feel his mouth curving up into a smile. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Felicity,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “In person, at least.”

With a laugh, Felicity out her hand in his. “It’s nice to meet you too, Oliver.”

It wasn’t until he heard his mom offer to take Donna and the other women to their table that Oliver realized he was staring at Felicity, still holding her hand. Dropping it abruptly, he cleared his throat before speaking. 

“Thank you for coming,” he started. “I know this whole thing is a little awkward.”

Felicity laughed again and the sound shot straight to his stomach. “When you have a mom like Donna Smoak, awkward doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Oliver chuckled back. “Can I show you to your table?”

Felicity nodded and Oliver swept his arm out to indicate she walk in front of him. When she stepped past him, he felt the gut-punch all over again. The back of her dress was...just red straps and miles of bare skin. The red fabric pulled tight over, frankly, one of the best asses he’d ever seen and Oliver barely held back a groan. 

This night was either the best idea he’d ever had or the worst. 

 

Felicity was surprised she could walk in a straight line. Meeting Oliver had thrown her off balance. She should have listened to her mom when she’d said he was handsome, because holy crap, the man was gorgeous. The gray suit he had on fit him perfectly, highlighting his broad shoulders and trim waist. The blue of his shirt set off the blues in his eyes and she’d found herself getting lost in them for a moment. As she’d walked past him, she’d heard a faint gasp when he’d spied the back of her dress and Felicity mentally thanked Sara for choosing this dress. 

“This way,” came Oliver’s voice beside her as he caught up. 

Gently, he placed his hand at the small of her back to guide her in the right direction and Felicity tried not to gasp at the brush of his fingers against her bare skin. 

She blinked and tried to concentrate on the incredible building she was in and not the tingling sensation of Oliver’s skin on hers. 

“This place truly is incredible, Oliver,” she told his as he steered her past the main tasting room and toward the kitchen. 

“Thank you,” he replied. “Like I said, we’ve been here a long time. My great-great grandfather came to the area from France and started the Vineyard. We now produce over 20 varieties of wine along with the restaurant.”

Too busy looking around, Felicity didn’t realize that they had bypassed the dining room all together and entered a private room. She stopped abruptly when she saw the table set for four, separated from the main dining area with a curtain. The chairs were a lush dark leather set next to a large, glass fronted wine display. Felicity could see the awe on her friends’ faces and the absolute glee on her mom’s.

“Everything ok?” Oliver asked next to her ear. Her abrupt stop had caused him to almost bump into her and she could feel the press of his body against her back. She shuddered involuntarily as his breath caressed her ear.

“I think you may have us in the wrong place,” she answered, pleased to note her voice was steady. 

Moving from behind her, Oliver was suddenly in her line of vision again, and nope, she hadn’t imagined just how beautiful this man was at all. 

“We’re not in the wrong place,” he explained, a small smile playing on his lips. 

“But, this is a private dining room,” Felicity protested. “Oliver, this is too much. You don’t have to do this. We can be in the regular dining room. I don’t want you to feel obligated…”

Gently, Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder and Felicity closed her mouth with a click. 

“Felicity,” Oliver said, still in that soft voice. “It’s not a big deal, I promise. The private room was not booked for tonight so I thought this way might be more fun for you all, but if it makes you uncomfortable, I can have a table set in the main dining room.”

Behind Oliver, Felicity could see her mom talking animatedly with Moira who was listening with an amused smile while Iris and Sara were looking around the room in awe and snapping pictures. Turning her eyes back to him, she could see the sincerity in his expression and she felt her resolve melt. He was just trying to make things comfortable and easy for her. 

“If you’re sure it’s not a problem,” she finally said.

Oliver’s answering smile woke the butterflies in her stomach. “Not at all,” he reassured her as he cupped her elbow to guide her to the table.

“Are you joining us, Oliver?” Donna asked as the couple approached the table. 

Oliver nodded, “If you ladies wouldn’t mind, I would love to join you.”

Donna’s face lit up. “Of course, you should join us,” she proclaimed and Felicity could see the unrestrained joy on her mom’s face. “Why don’t you sit right here?”

Unable to hold back her groan, Felicity saw that her mom was trying to get Oliver to sit right next to her.  
“Donna,” Moira said, stepping forward. “I was hoping you wouldn’t mind me joining you as well. You have such a bright sense of style. I would love to talk to you about it. Maybe you could give me some pointers.”

Felicity bit her lip to keep from laughing at the thought of bright, loud, and bold Donna Smoak giving the dignified and reserved Moira Queen fashion advice. Beside her, Oliver pulled out a chair for her to sit. Catching his eye, she noticed the same look of amusement on his face before he winked at her. She hurried to sit down before he could see the flush rising up her neck. 

What was wrong with her, she thought to herself as Oliver seated himself next to her. A waft of his cologne filled her nose as shifted in his seat and made the tingling in her stomach intensify. God, she never expected to have this kind of reaction to him, but so far, everything about him just...did it for her. 

“Felicity?” came Oliver’s voice close to her ear and she whipped her head around to find his face mere inches from hers. She sucked in a breath when his eyes dropped to her mouth for a second and she was stunned at how disappointed she was when he pulled back. 

Giving her head a small shake, Felicity said, “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

With that soft smile that she was growing to love, Oliver responded, “I was asking if you prefer reds or whites.”

“I love red wine,” Felicity answered. “Don’t get me wrong, white is good too, but there is something so rich and satisfying about a good red wine.”

“I feel the same way,” Oliver said, his smile growing. 

Just then, their server appeared at the table and Felicity was saved from doing something embarrassing, like kissing Oliver right there at the table.

 

Oliver couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so much in one night. Sara, Iris, and Felicity had spent most of the meal telling stories of their various adventures over the years since they’d met in college. Admittedly, the trio seemed unlikely friends, but after the last hour with them, Oliver could clearly see how they balanced each other. 

Across the table, another unlikely pairing had become apparent as the night went on. Donna and his mom had completely hit it off during dinner. They had both engaged in the conversations at the table, but also were happy talking with each, leaving Oliver a better chance at acquainting himself with Felicity and her friends. 

Smiling as Sara wrapped up a particularly animated smile, Oliver caught Felicity glancing at him with a similar smile on her face. He couldn’t get over how much he liked this woman sitting next to him. Even beyond the physical attraction, which was a lot more than he expected, Felicity was smart, kind, funny and just a bit snarky. The combination proving to be more than he could ever hope to resist. 

Throughout dinner, Oliver had found himself inching closer and closer to her until their legs were pressed up together under the table. Now, as the table finished their meals, he became distracted by the movement of her foot against his calf. The move felt deliberate, but glancing at her, Oliver could see Felicity was engaged in a conversation with Iris to her left. Deciding to take a chance, Oliver leaned back in his chair, sliding his hand down his leg until his pinky brushed against hers.  
When Felicity didn’t react, Oliver was sure he’d blown it, but then her pinky came up to tangle with his and Oliver felt his heart skip at the simple gesture. When she glanced over at him with a shy smile, Oliver was gone. He knew at that moment he would do whatever it took to keep seeing her.

“Have we saved room for dessert?” their server, Megan, asked with a smile. “We have an amazing Black Forest Cheesecake.”

With a soft gasp, Felicity asked quietly, “Black Forest Cheesecake?”

Megan smiled wider at the wonder in Felicity’s voice. “It’s amazing,” she assured Felicity. “Trust me, you will not be disappointed.”

“Let’s take two of those and two of the French Apple Tarts for the table please, Megan” Oliver instructed. “If that’s alright with you ladies?”

After receiving nods of approval, Megan left to place their order. 

“You know, Oliver,” Moira said from across the table. “It looks like Felicity has been enjoying the reds tonight. I think the 2005 Cabernet would go very nicely with the cheesecake.”

Oliver knew that Megan would be planning on bringing out a Merlot to serve with the cheesecake as well as a Chardonnay to go with the tart, but his mother was right. The Cabernet would be even better, the richness in both playing off each other flawlessly.

“That’s a very good idea, Mom,” Oliver answered. “I’ll go grab a bottle.”

Reluctantly, Oliver let go of Felicity’s pinky finger and excused himself from the table to head to the cellar. As he made his way down the stairs, Oliver found himself thinking of ways to get Felicity alone, even for a few minutes. As much as he was enjoying talking with her friends and Donna, he couldn’t help wanting her undivided attention. A chance to maybe find out if she was feeling the same connection he was feeling. If she was feeling even a tenth of what he was, he knew they had a shot at something real. 

He could offer to take her on a tour of the garden, he thought as he walked the racks. Though, then everyone else might want to come along as well. Maybe he could get his mom to help with the others while he got Felicity alone. She seemed to like all of them well enough, judging by her smiles at dinner.  
Satisfied with his plan, Oliver reached the appropriate rack and was just about to pull out the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon when he heard footsteps behind him. His brow furrowed at the distinctive click of high heels on stone floor. Had a guest gotten lost?

“Hello?” he called. 

“Oliver?” called the voice back from the other side of the room. “Is that you?”

“Felicity? What are you doing down here?”

Hurried footsteps echoed through the cellar and suddenly Felicity appeared at the end of the rack beside him.

“Thank goodness!” she cried, her voice shaking just a little. “I was starting to get freaked out down here by myself.”

Oliver stepped forward and ran his hands down her arms, both in an effort to soothe her and to take off the chill from the room. “Did you follow me down here?”

“No!” she protested. “Not on purpose anyway. I mean, I guess, I kind of did, but I didn’t know that I was following you.”

Biting back a smile, Oliver moved his hands to hers and squeezed them gently in reassurance. 

Squeezing his hands back, Felicity continued. “After you left the table, I decided to run to the restroom. Your mom gave me directions on how to get there, but I must have gotten turned around. I could have sworn she told me to go down those stairs which I thought was weird, but I wasn’t about to question it. Why would she send me down here, though?”

“Felicity,” Oliver interrupted. “I think my mom sent you down here because I was down here. So, we could have a minute alone.”

“Oh,” Felicity said. 

Oliver waited for her to continue, but nothing else came. His heart started to beat a little faster. Was she not happy to be alone with him? They were still holding hands, but maybe she was just trying to be polite. What if she wasn’t feeling the same attraction he was to her?

“Is that...I mean, is it okay that we are alone for a minute?” Oliver stammered, cursing himself internally at his own awkwardness. 

With a nod, Felicity responded, “Yes, absolutely okay. I was just surprised that your mom could read my mind so well.”

“Read your mind?”

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get you alone since the second course was served,” Felicity admitted. “I was seriously regretting bringing my friends and my mom along at one point.”

Relief washed over him. It wasn't just him. She was feeling this too, this instant chemistry that he’d never felt before. 

Oliver took another small step forward, putting himself in Felicity’s personal space, just enough that she had to tilt her head back to look at him. 

“I guess we’ve been thinking the same thing all night then,” he told her, voice low. “I was going to ask my mom to distract the others so I could get you alone after dessert. Guess she knows me better than I thought.”

Felicity smiled slowly, stepping just a bit closer. “Good to know it wasn’t just me,” she replied in an almost whisper, her mouth just inches from his. 

Oliver shook his head. “Definitely not just you,” he confirmed before closing the distance between them and capturing her mouth with his.

Letting go of her hands, Oliver reached for her waist and pulled closer, barely resisting this urge to haul her up against him. Though the kiss was simple, sweet even, Oliver could swear the earth moved underneath him. The press of her plush lips against his, her fingernails scraping gently against the back of his neck, her scent filling his nostrils was so much better than he’d even thought and he never wanted it to end. 

When his breath ran out, however, Oliver was forced to pull back, which he did reluctantly. Running his nose against hers, he pecked her lips gently one last time before pulling back enough to look at Felicity. He smiled when he saw her eyes were still closed.

“Wow,” she breathed.

“Yeah,” he agreed. 

Her eyes fluttered open and he was gratified to see them a little glazed for a minute before they cleared. Suddenly, her brow furrowed and her eyes filled with...frustration?

“Felicity,” he asked, concerned at her sudden change of mood. “Are you alright? Was that not okay?”

Felicity shook her head, “No! That was perfect. I was just realizing something.”

“What?”

“My mom was right! She said I would really like you and now she is never going to let me live it down!” Felicity cried, her voice completely distraught. “She’s going to be insufferable!”

Unable to hold back, Oliver laughed before pulling her in tight again. “How about I suffer with you? Take some off the burden for you?”

“You would do that?” Felicity asked, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck again.”

“Happily,” he replied. “After all, I owe her a lot. She brought me you.”


End file.
